February 13, 2018

When I first saw the Sweet Soiree Suite in the Occasions Mini Catalog, I knew I had to order it. The products in the suite are absolutely gorgeous and make the most elegant cards. Take this card for instance.

It turned out so pretty simply because of the beauty of the designer series paper (DSP) and the Sweet Soiree Embellishment Kit. The cake and the flowers on top of the cake came from the embellishment kit. I didn't have to color any of that in. It couldn't get any easier than that. The card is covered in silver accents--the cake and flowers are outlined in silver, the polka dots on the layer behind the cake are silver, the ribbon is edged in silver, and the Rhinestones are silver as well. It looks very elegant.

I decided to use the sentiment "Celebrate" on the front of the card so that it gives me flexibility. I can choose to use this card as a birthday card or as a wedding card.

If you remember my card that I posted on Friday, you'll notice that this card and the Friday card both have the same layout. By changing the stamp set and the paper colors I used, the two cards don't look anything alike. If you're ever stuck trying to design a card, try going back to something that you've previously made. Use the same layout and change the products used and you'll have a card in no time.

What works for you when you're lacking creativity and need to make something? Leave a comment below and let me know.

I used the Sweet Soiree Embellishment Kit to finish off the inside of my card as well. I added two stripes of the silver Washi tape across the inside layer and then added some more flowers on top. I'm so pleased with how this card turned out.

If you'd like to purchase any of the supplies I used to make this card, I've made it very easy for you. Click on the images below and they will be added to your shopping cart. Also, remember it's Sale-a-bration. For each $50 you spend (before shipping and handling and tax) get a free item from the Sale-a-bration catalog.

March 06, 2013

I've been quiet on here lately because I've been busy--a good kind of busy. My latest project has been designing wedding invitations for my nephew who is getting married soon. I don't often feel old, but I do now that my second nephew is getting married. I still think of him as being 10 or 11. Time flies!

They wanted the Marine Corps colors so I made the invitation in Night of Navy, Real Red, and White. The flourishes are stamped in So Saffron ink to coordinate with the gold color in their uniform. My nephew just joined the Marine Corps and they will be getting married right after he graduates from boot camp. I'm so happy for them!

If you or anybody you know is getting married, please don't hesitate to contact me (Dannie@DanniesDesigns.com). I would love to help you customize your wedding invitations, save the date cards, thank you cards, etc.

February 26, 2013

My friend Josanne showed me a picture of some "money cards" and asked if I could make some for her. She wanted to give them out as a thank you to people who helped with her wedding. Of course I was up for the challenge and gave it a try.

Isn't that a fun way to give somebody some money as a thank you? Make it the main focus of the card! The sample she showed me said "thank you for making our day special." However; the theme of her wedding is baseball, so I "baseballed" it. "Thank you for making our day a home run!"

I made this card like a postcard in that it doesn't open up. I typed the sentiment on the computer, printed it out, cut the layers, cut a slit for the money, and glued the layers together. It's super simple. The only tip I would give is to be sure not to put too much adhesive on the back of the white layer. The money is tucked into the slit in the white card stock and you can't tuck the money in if it's glued down everywhere. I just glued the two short ends of the white card stock. That's it. Quick and simple.

February 06, 2013

I finally got my computer working again--yeah! Now that all of the wedding invitations have been mailed out, I can show you what I've been working on this past December and January.

A few months ago, my friends asked if I knew of any place (company) that could make their custom wedding invitations. I told them that I run a card making business and I would be happy to see if I could make them. I love making elegant cards so I figured it wouldn't be difficult to make elegant wedding invitations. There was just one catch--their theme was baseball! How do you combine "baseball" and "elegant" into the same wedding invitation? It stumped me for a little bit, but after a few trial runs I came up with this.

For the front of the invitation, I stamped the letter "B" for the groom's last name.

The flap with the "B" on it opens to the right to reveal the invitation and the RSVP cards.

Behind the vellum layer is a picture of a baseball field. If you look closely at the photo, the words "opening day" are flashed across the score board in the background. It coordinates with the wording of the invitation.

The RSVP cards were designed to look like baseball tickets. They even have a "bar code" at the bottom of them. Of course they wouldn't be complete without using some baseball lingo. "Yes, we're stepping up to the plate." The entire invitaiton was baseball, including the return postage on the RSVP envelopes!

The best part about making these wedding invitations was the weekend when they came to help put them together. We talked, we laughed, we ate, we watched sports, and we had a great time.

If you or anybody you know is thinking about getting married, please keep me in mind. I'd love to help you with custom made wedding invitations, "save the date" cards, thank you cards, wedding programs, etc. Simply email me (Dannie@DanniesDesigns.com) for more details.

July 06, 2012

Now that it's after July 4th, I can show you the top secret project I was working on. One of my friends, that I've known since middle school, enlisted my help in proposing to his girlfriend. He wanted to take her on a scavenger hunt at Disneyland and he needed help making the clue cards. How exciting is that? I had so much fun helping him out.

Of course I couldn't post the card on here yet in case she saw it and it ruined the surprise. Now that they're engaged, I can show you.

I love this Mickey and Minnie stamp and how they look completely in love with each other. I thought it was perfect for their engagement. I made nine cards and they all looked the same. I didn't have enough time to make them all different.

I tried to keep everything Vanilla, Black, and Red. Some of the designer series paper seemed to be more white than vanilla, so I sponged the edges of all of it Black.

I printed up the clues on the inside of the card and finished it off with more sponging and designer series paper.

I knew when the engagement was happening, so I kept checking on facebook to see if he had popped the question yet. The clues were all for different rides she had to go on, but the lines were long so it took all day. She kept posting pictures of the different clues and talking about how much fun she was having. The suspense was killing me! He finally popped the question that night and she said yes! Congratulations John and Josanne!

August 23, 2011

Wow, it has been a busy couple of weeks. My kids are now all officially in school and I'm trying to find some semblance of a routine for myself. Now that all of the back to school stuff is done, there's more free time and my schedule is starting to lighten up. That will definitely translate into more stamping time for me!

Although I haven't been posting on here the past few days, I have been busy stamping. Somehow I managed to sign up for three swaps that were all due within days of each other. I've been cranking out projects. Today I thought I'd show you the project I made for the wedding card swap.

The front of the invite is pretty simple. It's the same size as a standard card (5 1/2" x 4 1/4"). The only thing that you can't see in this photo is that I sprayed some shimmer spray all over the Very Vanilla cardstock.

I made the announcement part using My Digital Studio. This is my first MDS project and I was amazed at how easy it was to use.

I created a pocket on the left to hold the three different cards--registry, RSVP, and directions. I added two layers of cardstock to the front of the pocket and I used the same embossing folder and shimmer mist on the Very Vanilla layer so it would match the front of the invitation.

I think everything else is pretty self-explanatory. If you have any questions, please let me know. Thanks for stopping by!

July 06, 2011

I recently received an email from Lois Good and Jen Cox with pictures of two projects they made using my Tab Book Tutorial. The projects were amazing so I got their permission to share them with you. The first one they made is a wedding book.

I love the elegant designer series paper and the gorgeous ribbon.

Here's the book open (you can click on the photos to see a larger view). Isn't that gorgeous? I love it! They also made a birthday book.

The colors are so bright and cheerful. Here's a look at the cover...

and here's the book open. I love how they decorated the inside of the front and back covers. I'm sure the recipients of these books will be thrilled to get them. I know I would be! Thank you Jen and Lois for sharing.

If you create a project using one of my tutorials, please send me an email with pictures (or a link to your project online) and I'd love to share them on my blog. Thanks for stopping by!

February 04, 2011

As soon as I saw this Viva la Verve sketch challenge, I had to give it a try.

This is such a great layout that would work with so many different stamp sets. I decided to make mine into a thank you card.

All you have to do is change the sentiment and this card would work for a variety of occasions. I think this card would work well as a masculine card too.

I think the card is pretty self-explanatory. The only thing difficult to see in the photo is that I pierced holes in each of the scallops as well as under the sentiment.

I kept a similar layout for the inside of my card. I added a thin strip of DSP to the bottom of the vanilla layer to tie in the DSP from the front of the card.

I'm currently working on a post about masculine cards. I know that's something that many of you struggle with. I'll be looking for your input as well. Be on the lookout for that post coming soon. Thanks for stopping by!

November 30, 2010

How can tomorrow possibly be the first of December? Last night my kids were complaining that Christmas is *SO* far away and I was trying to tell them just how quickly the time will fly by. Of course I was unsuccessful because to them 26 days is an eternity. I am excited to say that I have 90% of my Christmas shopping done and it's all wrapped too! I have never been ready this early. Now I just need to get my Christmas cards in the mail.

Today I wanted to show you a card I made for a dear friend who just got married. I've known him for 25 years and I'm so happy for him and his wife.

Isn't the Bridesmaid DSP gorgeous? I love this swirled paper. I stamped the bell image in Whisper White craft ink on Vellum cardstock and then I embossed it with Clear Embossing powder. I used four brads to attach the Vellum so there wouldn't be any adhesive showing through the vellum. Do any of you have any tips or tricks to attaching Vellum using adhesive and not having it show through? If so, I'd love to hear how you do it.

As usual, the inside of my card has the same layout as the front. Now I just need to fill out the card and get it in the mail.

Be sure to stop back tomorrow. I have several Christmas projects to show you over the next several days. Thanks so much for stopping by!

April 12, 2010

As I mentioned on Friday, I have a couple more projects from my downline meeting to share with you. I've been noticing these gorgeous paper flowers showing up on several different blogs and I wanted to try making one. They were a little time consuming, but I made this card for my swap card.

Here's another view of the flowers.

Aren't those paper flowers beautiful? I used Orchid Opulence cardstock and sponged all of the edges (front and back) with Rich Razzleberry ink. Here's a quick look at the inside of my card.

You can find the tutorial for how to make the flowers here. I made one change that seemed to make things a little easier for me. Once I punched out, sponged, and distressed the flowers, I stacked three of them on top of each other and pierced a hole in the middle.

Then I used the large hole punch in my crop-a-dial to punch a hole in the center.

The large hole made it easier for me to be able to line up the petals when I was gluing them together. After I punched the hole then I cut them apart and followed the rest of the tutorial exactly.

Mary provided one of the projects for the meeting and she had us make this card using the same flowers.

They're simply stunning. Mary cased this card layout from Kerin. I'll be back to show you the other project and the swap cards from my meeting. Thanks for stopping by! ~Dannie

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